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Ray Borque
Ray Bourque= From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search '''Raymond Jean "Ray" Bourque''' (born December 28, 1960) is a former Canadian professional [[Ice hockey|ice hockey]] player. He currently holds records for most goals, assists and points by a [[Defenceman (ice hockey)|defenceman]] in the [[National Hockey League]] (NHL). Bourque has become near-synonymous with the [[Boston Bruins]] franchise, for which he played 21 seasons and became its longest-serving captain. He finished off his career with the [[Colorado Avalanche]] where he won the [[Stanley Cup]] in his last NHL game. [[[Ray Bourque|edit]]] Playing career Raymond Bourque was born in Saint-Laurent, Quebec, Canada, December 28, 1960 then moved with his family to [[Montreal]] at the age of 10. Bourque was the third-round pick of the Trois-Rivières Draveurs of the [[Quebec Major Junior Hockey League]] (QMJHL). Half-way through his rookie season, coach and GM [[Michel Bergeron (hockey coach)|Michel Bergeron]] traded Bourque to Sorel for high-scoring [[Benoit Gosselin]]. After a stellar junior career with Sorel and Verdun of the [[Quebec Major Junior Hockey League|QMJHL]], in which he was named the league's best defenceman in 1978 and 1979, Raymond Bourque's NHL debut came in [[1979–80 NHL season|1979]] after being drafted 8th overall by the Bruins, with a first-round draft choice obtained from the [[Los Angeles Kings]] in a [[1976–77 NHL season|1977]] trade for goaltender [[Ron Grahame]], whose son [[John Grahame|John]] would be a future teammate of Bourque's. He would make an immediate impact in Boston, scoring a goal in his first game while facing the [[Winnipeg Jets (1972–96)|Winnipeg Jets]].[1] Bourque asserted himself from the start as one of the best defencemen in the league, winning both the [[Calder Trophy]] as Rookie of the Year and a First Team All-Star selection, the first time in NHL history a non-goaltender had ever achieved the distinction. His 65 points that season was a record at the time for a rookie defenceman.[2] In [[1985–86 NHL season|1985]], upon the retirement of Bruins' captain [[Terry O'Reilly]] to coach the club, Bourque and veteran [[Rick Middleton]] were named co-captains of the team, Middleton to wear the "C" during home games and Bourque for road games. Upon Middleton's retirement in [[1987–88 NHL season|1988]], Bourque became the team's sole captain, and retained the position for the remainder of his Bruins' tenure. In so doing, he passed [[Dit Clapper]] as the longest tenured Bruins' captain in history, as well as passing [[Alex Delvecchio]] of the [[Detroit Red Wings]] as the longest-serving team captain in NHL history, a mark since surpassed by [[Steve Yzerman]] of the Red Wings. Bourque proved a solid force for Boston for twenty-one seasons (1979–2000), famous for combining offensive prowess at a level that few defencemen in league history had ever achieved—he was a perennial shot accuracy champion at [[National Hockey League All-Star Game|All-Star Games]]—and near-unparalleled defensive excellence. [3] Bourque won five [[James Norris Memorial Trophy|Norris Trophies]] as the league's top defenceman and finished second to [[Mark Messier]] in 1990 in the closest race ever for the [[Hart Memorial Trophy]], the league's Most Valuable Player award. The Bruins' reliance on Bourque's on-ice mastery was so total that—while Bourque was very durable throughout much of his career—the team was seen by many to flounder whenever he was out of the lineup.[4] During Bourque's tenure with the Bruins, the team continued what would be a North American professional record twenty-nine consecutive seasons in the playoffs, a streak that would persist through the [[1995–96 NHL season|1996 season]]. In the playoffs, Bourque led the team to the [[Stanley Cup]] Final against the [[Edmonton Oilers]] in both [[1987–88 NHL season|1988]] and [[1989–90 NHL season|1990]], where the Bruins lost in both series.[5] Bourque was also popular among Bruins fans because of his willingness to re-sign with Boston without any acriminous or lengthy negotiations. He passed over several opportunities to set the benchmark salary for defenceman; instead, he usually quietly and quickly agreed to terms with the Bruins, and this stance irritated the [[National Hockey League Players' Association]] which had been pushing to drive up players' wages.[6] [[[Ray Bourque|edit]]] #77 [[Enlarge|Enlarge]]Ray Bourque No. 7 Boston Garden 1979When Bourque started playing for the Bruins, he was assigned jersey number No. 7, the uniform number of ex-Bruins' great [[Phil Esposito]] and only briefly worn afterwards. When the Bruins elected to retire No. 7 in Esposito's honor, on December 3, 1987, Bourque approached Esposito during the on-ice ceremonies and removed his No. 7 jersey to reveal a new No. 77 jersey beneath, "surrendering" the No. 7 jersey in Esposito's favor.[1] [[[Ray Bourque|edit]]] International play Bourque played for Team Canada in the [[Canada Cup (ice hockey)|Canada Cup]] in 1981, 1984, and 1987. However, he did not play in the 1991 edition, despite attempts by [[Wayne Gretzky]] and [[Mark Messier]] to persuade him to take part. Bourque also played for the NHL All-Stars in [[Rendez-vous '87]] against the Soviet Union, and played for the Canadian team in the [[1998 Winter Olympics]], leading all defencemen in scoring. [[[Ray Bourque|edit]]] Colorado Avalanche The Bruins' record for North American professional sports, twenty-nine consecutive seasons in the playoffs, was ended in the [[1996–97 NHL season|1997 season]]. The next two seasons, the Bruins returned to the playoffs and in 1999, they won a playoff series for the first time since 1994. Despite a nucleus of young talent and high expectations for [[1999–2000 NHL season|1999–2000]], injuries caused the Bruins to plummet to the bottom of their division, and they went on track to miss the playoffs. This was further exacerbated by negative attention over teammate [[Marty McSorley]]'s hit on [[Donald Brashear]].[7][8][9] Bourque requested a trade from the fading Bruins so he would have a chance to win the [[Stanley Cup]].[2] Initially, he requested a trade to a team on the East Coast such as the [[Philadelphia Flyers]], and Flyers' general manager [[Bobby Clarke]] offered the Bruins [[Andy Delmore]] and [[Daymond Langkow]] for Bourque. In reality, Bruins general manager [[Harry Sinden]] was finalizing a trade with the [[Colorado Avalanche]], under the condition that it could not be leaked to the press. Sinden badly wanted Bourque to have a chance to close out his career with a Cup win, and told Bourque, "This may not be your first choice, but this is the team I feel is best." On March 6, 2000, Bourque was traded to Colorado with fellow veteran [[Dave Andreychuk]] for [[Brian Rolston]], [[Martin Grenier]], [[Samuel Påhlsson]] and a first round draft pick. Although Bourque played just a season and a half with the Avalanche, he proved to be a force both on the ice and in the locker room. In 2000, he helped the struggling Avalanche improve their form and capture their division. During the playoffs, they advanced to the conference finals, where they lost to the [[Dallas Stars]] in a hard-fought series, with Bourque hitting the post in the last minutes of Game Seven which would have tied the game after his team rallied from a 3–0 deficit in the third period to 3–2. In 2000–01—what turned out to be his only full season in Colorado—he was named an alternate captain. He led all Colorado defencemen in scoring, and formed a solid defensive pairing with [[Adam Foote]] and [[Rob Blake]], the latter of whom the Avs received from the [[Los Angeles Kings]] in a trade. Bourque was named to the postseason First All-Star team, finishing as runner-up to the [[Detroit Red Wings]]' [[Nicklas Lidstrom]] for the Norris Trophy. In the 2001 playoffs, Bourque scored the game-winning goal in Game Three of the finals against the [[New Jersey Devils]]. After a 4–1 loss in Game Five that put the Avalanche in a series deficit 3–2, Bourque flew in his family and relatives for the pivotal Games Six and Seven, winning them 4–0 and 3–1, respectively. Finally, on June 9, 2001, after 22 seasons, Bourque—and the Avalanche—won the Stanley Cup, in what proved to be Bourque's final game as a player. After team captain [[Joe Sakic]], who had just won his second title, took the Cup from [[NHL Commissioner]] [[Gary Bettman]], he immediately handed it to Bourque (without hoisting it himself) so Bourque could take the first victory lap around the ice. This broke a longstanding tradition that called for the captain to take the first lap. Victorious Colorado goalie [[Patrick Roy]], whose fourth championship had come the same day as Bourque's first, said of the Cup and his teammate, "A name was missing from that [Cup], and today it is back to normal."[10] Bourque had waited longer to win his first Cup than any other Cup-winning player had in the 108-year history of the Stanley Cup, having played 1,612 regular season and 214 playoff games before winning the Cup. On June 12, 2001, three days after the Cup victory, Bourque exercised his right as a player to bring the Cup back to Boston for an emotional rally in Boston's City Hall Plaza, attended by some 20,000 fans. Bourque retired shortly thereafter, having set defensive regular season records in goals (410) and assists (1169) for 1579 points. During the 2000–01 season, which would be the last for both players, Bourque passed [[Paul Coffey]] (intended to be Bourque's replacement on his former team, the Bruins) to become the all time leader in goals, assists and points for a defenceman at any senior professional level. [[[Ray Bourque|edit]]] Retirement [[Enlarge|Enlarge]]The Aréna Raymond-Bourque in [[Saint-Laurent, Quebec|Saint-Laurent, QC]].Bourque was inducted into the [[Hockey Hall of Fame]] in 2004, the first season he was eligible. His uniform number #'''77''' has been retired by both the Bruins and the Avalanche; he is one of only six players ([[Gordie Howe]], [[Bobby Hull]], [[Wayne Gretzky]], [[Mark Messier]], and [[Patrick Roy]]) whose jersey has been retired by more than one club. His birthplace of [[Saint-Laurent, Quebec|Saint-Laurent]] named the ''Aréna Raymond-Bourque'' in his honour.[11] He still lives in the Boston area with his wife Christianne, remaining active in several local charities, and was named a Boston Bruins team consultant on November 3, 2005. He is also the co-owner of an Italian restaurant called Tresca[12] in Boston's [[North End, Boston, Massachusetts|North End]]. His elder son, [[Chris Bourque|Christopher]], was drafted by the [[Washington Capitals]] in 2004. Christopher is a well-regarded prospect who subsequently turned professional, playing for the [[Hershey Bears]] in the [[2006–07 AHL season|2007 season]] and making his NHL debut for the Capitals in [[2007–08 NHL season|2007]]. His younger son, [[Ryan Bourque|Ryan]], was a 3rd round draft choice by the [[New York Rangers]] in 2009, and was a member of the USA's 2010 gold-medal [[2010 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships|World Junior Championship]] team, earning three assists during the tournament.[13][14][15] Ryan plays junior hockey for the [[Quebec Remparts]] in the [[QMJHL]] who are coached by Raymond's old teammate [[Patrick Roy]] and was an alternate captain for the USA's [[2011 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships|2011 World Junior Championship]] team, in which he again earned three assists as the team won the bronze medal.[13][16][17] [[[Ray Bourque|edit]]] Awards and achievements Bourque's prowess led him to become one of the most honored players in hockey history. During his career, he was selected to thirteen NHL First Team (the most in history) and six Second Team All-Star squads, second in total in league history only to [[Gordie Howe]] and most amongst defencemen. He won the [[James Norris Memorial Trophy|Norris Trophy]] as the top defenceman in the league five times, fourth all-time after [[Doug Harvey (ice hockey)|Doug Harvey]], [[Bobby Orr]] and [[Nicklas Lidström]]. Among his numerous other records and honors are the following: *Retired third (second among defencemen), and is currently eighth (fourth among defencemen), in all-time games played with 1,612. *Retired second, and is currently fourth, in all-time assists with 1,169; this is still a record for defencemen. *Is eleventh in all-time points scored with 1,579. *Is first in all-time points scored by a defenceman with 1,579. *Is first in all-time defence goals scored with 410. *The career leader in shots on goal with 6,206, nearly one thousand ahead of the second leading shooter, [[Marcel Dionne]].[18] *Led the NHL in shots in [[1983-84 NHL season|1984]], [[1986-87 NHL season|1987]], and [[1994-95 NHL season|1995]]. *Is third in all-time cumulative plus-minus with 528, behind [[Larry Robinson]] and Orr.[3] *Won the [[Norris Trophy]] in 1987, [[1987-88 NHL season|1988]], [[1989-90 NHL season|1990]], [[1990-91 NHL season|1991]], and [[1993-94 NHL season|1994]]. *Won the [[King Clancy Memorial Trophy]] in [[1991-92 NHL season|1992]]. *Received the [[Lester Patrick Trophy]] in 2003. *Named a NHL First Team All-Star in [[1979-80 NHL season|1980]], [[1981-82 NHL season|1982]], 1984, [[1984-85 NHL season|1985]], 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, [[1992-93 NHL season|1993]], 1994, [[1995-96 NHL season|1996]], and [[2000-01 NHL season|2001]]. *Named a Second Team All-Star in [[1980-81 NHL season|1981]], [[1982-83 NHL season|1983]], [[1985-86 NHL season|1986]], [[1988-89 NHL season|1989]], 1995 and [[1998-99 NHL season|1999]]. *Became only the sixth defenceman in professional history to score 30 goals in a season (1984). *Became only the third defenceman in professional history to reach the 1,000 NHL points milestone (1992) *Is the Bruins' all-time career leader in games played (1,518), assists (1,111) and points (1,506), also ranking fourth in goals and first in assists with a single team (any position). *Registered his 1,528th point Oct. 25, 2000, vs. Nashville, passing [[Paul Coffey]] as the NHL's all-time leader among defencemen. *Registered his 1,137th assist Dec. 21, 2000, vs. L.A. Kings, passing Coffey for second place on the NHL's all-time assists list and first among defencemen. *Named to play in the All-Star Game for the 19th consecutive season, passing [[Wayne Gretzky]] for the league record, 2001; Bourque also appeared in the All-Star Game in every season that it was held during his career (there was no game in [[Rendez-vous '87|1987]] or [[1994–95 NHL lockout|1995]]). *Was named the Most Valuable Player of the All-Star Game in [[46th National Hockey League All-Star Game|1996]]. *Is third all-time in playoff assists and tenth all-time in playoff points. *In 1998, three years before the end of his career, he was ranked number 14 on ''[[The Hockey News]]''' [[List of 100 greatest hockey players by The Hockey News|list of the one hundred greatest hockey players of all time]]. He was the highest-ranking player who had not yet won a Stanley Cup, the next highest being No. 38-ranked Dionne.[19] *[[Stanley Cup]] champion — [[2001 Stanley Cup Finals|2001]]. [[[Ray Bourque|edit]]] Career statistics=